Return
by Turambar - Turun Ambartanen
Summary: Saint Dane has returned. 4 new territories have been discovered and all of Halla is under threat, once again. Do the Travelers have the power to stop Saint Dane's new onslaught? Let's find out.
1. The Return of Saint Dane

**Return**

**Chapter I  
The Return of Saint Dane**

**Journal # 38  
Middle-Earth**

Hi guys. Miss me? I guess you do. And I guess you're also pretty stoked that I left. Especially you, Courtney. But right now, I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I really had no choice in the matter.

But let me get back to the problem at hand: St. Dane has returned. Yes, you read it right. He's back. And he wants to retake Halla... again. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I'll start just before I saw him.

I was, as you know, a Spirit of Solara now. What was I doing? Well... in lay man's terms... I was being part of the guiding force of mankind. It's hard to come up with another explanation.

While doing that, I sensed an unfamiliar presence touch my mind. Well, it seemed unfamiliar but I felt that I should have known it. All doubts left my mind though, once I heard the voice.

"Hello Pendragon," Saint Dane sounded. "Having a good time?"

I was completely stunned. A million questions raced through my mind, but only one word came out. "How?"

"How am I still alive?" Saint Dane completed the question for me, smirking. "Like I'd tell you."

"What... do you want?" I asked. I was secretly hoping that he would say he changed his ways and wanted to redeem himself. Unfortunately, I had no such luck.

"To retake what is mine, of course!" the Demon replied. "And Halla is mine!"

As he laughed coldly and evilly, I felt his spirit fade away from Solara.

"Saint Dane," I muttered. "You just had to come back, didn't you."

During my grumblings, I noticed the other spirits trying to probe at my mind. Before you ask, yes, we spirits can do that. We don't really have physical bodies but our minds are connected, forming a somewhat collective consciousness.

Now where was I? They-the spirits- seemed to have sensed Saint Dane as well and were going to me for confirmation. I decided to let them in- yes, they need permission too- and they saw my brief encounter with Saint Dane. I'll let you guys imagine their reactions.

I tried contacting the minds of the other Travelers. They answred and apparently felt the same shock as the other spirits.

"So Saint Dane has returned," Press sighed. "Why did this have to happen so soon?"

"Well I can't accuse you of imagining things this time, Bobby," Aja sounded. "We _all_ felt his presence."

"Are you saying that I imagine things?" I questioned her.

"Bobby. About Saint Dane. Now," Press said.

"Right. He's back."

"We know that," Elli said. "What does he want?"

"The same as always," I answered. "Control over Halla."

"Just like old times," Spader sighed. "This is a real natty-do." Spader still hasn't lost his Cloran sayings and accent.

"So which territory first?" I asked Press.

Press took some time thinking about it. I can't tell how long for sure but seemed to take a while.

"Middle-Earth," he answered finally. "It's fair game to Saint Dane."

I wracked my head for Middle-Earth. I've been to all Earth territories but 'Middle' fit nowhere. But for some reason, it was familiar like I heard it in a movie I saw.

Surprisingly, Gunny seemed familiar with it. "Excuse me, but is this Middle-Earth as in Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien by any chance?" So that's why it seemed familiar! It was a book written by an author from First-Earth! Duh.

"Exactly that, Gunny," Press answered. "And if I'm not mistaken, you knew Tolkien quite well."

"That's true," Gunny said. "World War I and all."

"That makes sense," Patrick agreed.

"Can we go now?" Loor sounded. "I don't want to be stuck here talking while Saint Dane's loose on Halla!" She had an excellent point. The more time we wasted, the more time Saint Dane had to sow his seeds of chaos.

"Yes, we should go now," Press said. "But by the way, use your powers as little as possible. Solara hasn't regained full strength yet."

After five years, Solara is still recovering from the damage Saint Dane inflicted. I doubted that it would be able to handle another round with the demon. Apparently, so did Press.

"So we leave now?" I asked.

"Now," Press answered and the eleven of us teleported to Middle-Earth.

* * *

**So how was that for a rewrite? It wasn't much longer but I hope it's better than the previous one. Thank you for bearing with me.**

**1 done, 12 to go.**

**P.S. Only Bobby's POV will be in Journal format.**


	2. The Flume in the Golden Wood

**Return**

**Chapter II  
The Flume in the Golden Wood**

**Journal # 38  
continued  
Middle-Earth**

We landed in the middle of a forest. That wouldn't seem strange except for the trees. They had silver trunks and an interesting shade of green for the leaves. It was strange but it was beautiful. The ground was decorated with little white and golden flowers. Whoever made this forest obviously loved pretty plants.

I looked around for my fellow Travelers and saw that they took the form that they had when they left Halla. That is, with the exception of Kasha.

The former klee looked at herself all over and screamed, "I'm a gar!" I didn't know whether to laugh or feel insulted at her reaction.

I can only describe her "gar" form as elegant. She had long black hair that fell to her back, bright green eyes, and a fair complexion. She was simply stunning. She would have looked so much better if she wasn't complaining about it.

Press let out a sigh. "Kasha, this is for the best."

"For the best!" she repeated. "What do you mean?"

"There are no klees in Middle-Earth, Kasha," Press told her. "And anything that can be closely associated with klees here would most likely be hunted. Seeing us with one would not help in anyway."

Kasha sighed. "Fine," she conceded. I think I heard grumbling something about "stupid gars" and "lack of fur."

I looked at what we were wearing. We seemed to already be dressed in the native clothing. We were all in what looked like elven travel clothes like what we saw in those Lord of the Rings movies. Long-sleeved tunics and trousers, finely embroidered. All our clothes were in shades of either green, brown, grey, red, or blue. I got a white under-tunic with a light blue over-tunic with grey pants. We also got some medieval boots. The clothes were quite comfy. I would probably ask to keep them if it wasn't for the no-mixing-territories rule. And if I wasn't a Solaran spirit, of course.

I looked at the others and noticed something similar. The guys were dressed like me but the girls wore something slightly different. They were wearing what looked to be travel dresses. Loor seemed to be in a medium-light grey outfit. Press wore a dark blue tunic with a slightly lighter shade of blue for his pants. Alder was in a dark brown tunic with matching pants. Aja was in a light green dress with light blue on the hem. Spader was in a sea-green tunic with light green trousers. Gunny was also in grey. Kasha had a dark green that matched her new "gar" form. Elli wore a burgundy dress that fit her well. Siry had a light red outfit. Patrick was dressed in dark brown.

I looked around, trying to take in the new surroundings. "Where are we anyway?" I asked. "And _when _are we?"

"Judging from the trees and flowers, I'd say we're in LothLorien," Patrick answered. "Not sure when though." We all looked at Press for that answer.

"The second year of the Fourth Age," Press said, looking around. "Two years after the War of the Ring."

"So why would Saint Dane come _after_ a war?" Aja asked. "Why not during it?"

"_That _is what we're going to find out," I answered for Press.

"Right. Now, let's get moving," Press said. "We need to meet the elves."

**Chapter 2 is done! I hope this one was better than the original.**


	3. The Travelers and the Elf Lady

**Return**

**Chapter III**

**The Travelers and the Elf ****Lady of the Wood**

**Journal # 38**

**continued**

**Middle-Earth**

So we set off to look for the elves. Not that we would find them in a forest. Press said that it's more likely that they spot us before we spot them. Apparently we "breathe so loud they can shoot us in the dark." I started wondering why they took their time meeting us.

We were wandering for ten minutes when I turned and met an arrow pointed at my face.

"Who are you?" the elf demanded. He was blond and and dressed in red. He had a dead serious look in his face. I did the logical thing. I answered.

"Pendragon."

The elf didn't lower his bow arrow, apparently not satisfied. "What are you doing here in Lorien?" That, I had no answer to. I racked my brain for ideas. None came up.

Press was as cool as ever. "We are hunting down a fugitive," he calmly said, walking up to the elf. "We have reason to believe that he has passed through here." I guess that was the best excuse we could use. We were hunting down someone. Saint Dane.

The elf looked at him. "And who might you be?"

"Aw, I think that you should introduce yourself first," Press said. "And point that arrow somewhere else. There's no need to threaten my nephew."

"Give me a reason not to," the elf demanded. I was really beginning to not like this guy.

"Because we mean no harm," Press said. "Do we look like we can do much damage here?" Got to love Press. Always keeping his cool.

The elf finally decided to see Press' logic and lowered the bow and arrow. Took him long enough. Eesh.

"I am Haldir," the elf said. "Follow me."

I looked to the others and shrugged. We didn't really know the place so it was nice to have a guide. Even if the guide was ready to put an arrow through my head.

"I hope you have an explanation to your clothing," Haldir said. "Mortals wearing the attire of the Eldar are rarely seen nowadays." Now we were in hot water. How the hell were we supposed to explain that?

"These were gifts from friends of ours," Press said, doing damage control. Gotta love that guy.

Haldir gave him a look but sighed. "Very well. I'll take you to Lady Galadriel." Guess he had no idea what to do with us. Oh well. At least he's taking us to... who did he say again? Gilldeal? Grillwheel? Wait... Galadriel.

He took us along a pathway and we met up with other guards. They took time to bring us to the heart of the forest. In the meantime, I took the opportunity to look around. The forest was absolutely amazing! If I could find two words to describe it it would be dream flower. That's exactly what it seemed like. Time seemed to slow down in here and it simply was beautiful.

We soon began moving uphill into the thickest part of the wood. I think one of the elves called it Caras Galadhon. Patrick translated it for me as the Hill of Trees. Really, they could name it anything and they choose Hill of Trees? Meh, I'm not naming these places, so who am I to judge?

We were lead through a path till we reached the foot of a tree with a staircase around it leading up to a flet. The flet had something like a chamber made of lightweight material. Actually, all things elven look lightweight.

We were lead up onto the flet and I saw the most stunning woman I ever met. No offense to you, Courtney. She had golden hair that seemed to glow, fair, regal, angled features, making her look a bit like a cat, and she simply shone. It's like someone hid a million stars inside of her. And no, I do not exaggerate. See her for yourself and you'll completely agree.

The elf Lady regarded us coldly and turned to Haldir. "Who are these men?"

"We have caught them trespassing the borders of Lorien, my Lady," Haldir said. "They claim to be hunting down a fugitive."

The elf nodded. "You may leave," she told Haldir. The elf guard bowed respectfully and left. She faced us. "Who are you really? If you were chasing a fugitive, you would have weapons with you which you do not." While she was speaking, I felt her eyes bore into my mind, searching for information. And I could hear her voice in my head for some odd reason, searching for everything that she could use against us.

Eventually, her voice-in-my-head receded but her eyes were as piercing as ever. "How is it that you block me so easily? The only ones who could do such were the five Wizards."

We looked at each other and shrugged. Maybe it had something to do with our nature as Solaran spirits? I really don't know.

I looked at the elf, whom I was beginning to assume was Galadriel. "I can't answer your question, Lady Galadriel, but I can tell you with all honesty that we mean no harm." I decided to be as polite as possible. Didn't want more archers pointing their arrows in my face again.

"Then what are you doing here in Lorien?" Galadriel asked again. "If a fugitive passed through here, we would know about it."

This time, Aja decided to speak. "This fugitive we're chasing can hide well. It is very possible for him to hide even from your elvish sight."

"I highly doubt that," Galadriel said, obviously offended. "Only the Ainur could hope to accomplish that feat."

It was then that I heard the sound I was least expecting. I turned and... Uncle Press was laughing! Seriously, we were at the mercy of the powerful elf Lady and he was laughing! I thought that he had definitely lost it.

"You know guys, we don't need to fear her," he said.

"Why not?" Galadriel demanded.

"Because she is the acolyte here on Middle-Earth," Press said, giving me a wink.

I stared at him. "Why didn't you tell us in the first place?"

"I wanted to see how you would react to her without prior knowledge," Press said, smiling innocently.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Galadriel staring at us. "You know?" she gasped.

Press looked at her and smiled politely. "Yes, my Lady. We know about Halla and the Travelers. In fact, we are Travelers."

Galadriel seemed to pale- but that didn't seem likely; she's a mighty elf Lady- and seemed to nearly stumble back. Okay, maybe she did pale. She was able to quickly regain her composure and said to us in a serious, but kinder, tone, "So what brings you here, Guardians of Halla?"

I looked to Press to do all the explaining for the moment. "As we said earlier, my Lady, we are chasing a fugitive. Except that the fugitive is a powerful rogue Traveler called Saint Dane."

Galadriel sighed. "And what is this Saint Dane planning to do? And if he truly came by the same way you did, we would have spotted him by now."

"Saint Dane, like all other Travelers, has the ability to change shape," Kasha said. "He could be anything from a gar to elf to animal and even smoke."

"As for his plan for Middle-Earth," Aja continued, "we don't know. We never know his plans until he executes them."

"What we do know is that he plans to wreak havoc in this territory," Parick said. "How he plans to do this, we don't know."

Galadriel eyed us with new interest. "How does he normally do this?"

"He places himself in a key position of the territory," I told her, "and then he uses his position to manipulate the leaders o the people into starting the collapse of the territory. You never see him coming until too late. Believe me, I speak from experience."

Galadriel remained silent for a while, looking away in thought. Had I revealed too much at once and melted her brain? Nah, couldn't have. "I need time to think about this," she said. "Haldir?"

"Yes, my lady?" the elf guard appeared.

"Show these guests to where they will sleep for their stay here," she answered. So she was letting us stay? That was great! I didn't want to seem foreign or hostile. Well, the foreign part can't be helped. I guess I'll just have to look harmless. And judging from how well the elves can hide and shoot, I pretty much am harmless.

"Of course, my Lady," Haldir replied. He looked at us. "Follow me."

We followed with the assurance that we will be treated as guests. Haldir lead us to a few mounds where there were small caves delved in. Each were enough for one grown man or two children. I got myself one and found that it was pretty comfy. I guess the moss growing there made it feel soft. I looked at the others and saw that they had found their own.

"So what do we do?" I asked them.

"We wait for Galadriel's decision," Press answered. "I wonder what it would be."

* * *

**I am so sorry for taking my time with rewriting this. Life (as a student and athlete) has inally caught up to me and I'm trying to find that balance between those to and my life as a fanfiction writer. So sorry, once again. I also had trouble getting Galadriel and Haldir in character. Sorry. Enjoy the rewrite!**


	4. Gifts, Guards, Farewell

**Return**

**Chapter IV  
Gifts, Guards, Farewell**

**Journal # 38  
continued  
Middle-Earth**

After some discussion, we decided to get to sleep. I had a really hard time keeping still. Knowing that the demon you destroyed is back will do that. Eventually I was able to get some z's when I jumped when Loor shook me awake.

"Wake up, Pendragon. The elf Lady is waiting for us."

I got up quickly and saw that the others were the same; either waking up or waking someone else up. I walked up to Press, who was busy trying to wake up Alder, and asked "She's decided already?"

"Apparently so," Press answered. "This was quicker than I expected."

"What did you expect?" I asked.

"Me? Well, knowing elves, they try not to rush their decisions. Apparently, she thought either that this was something that could not wait, or that we were like other humans: impatient. The latter is doubtful, however."

I sighed. Really, even the high and mighty elves aren't above stereotyping. Who knew? "Well, let's go see her then."

The trip to Galadriel was pretty uneventful besides a few elves who turned their heads to look at us. I tried to ignore them but the knowledge that they could "shoot us in the dark," as Haldir, Press, and Patrick put it, kept me on guard.

Soon, we were on the same flet we were on last night, facing Galadriel and an equally tall and regal elf with silver hair that seemed like her husband. At least elves are capable of some emotion.

"I have spoken to my husband about the matters you have informed me about," she said. So that elf _is _her husband. "He now knows."

The silver-haired elf-dude nodded. "So you are hunting down a demon who goes by the name of Saint Dane, correct?"

"Indeed we are, Lord Celeborn," Patrick answered for us. So this guy's name is Celeborn. Nice fancy names they got here. Still single names, though. "Although, we are still unsure of what his plan is."

"I know," Celeborn answered. "And we have decided on the appropriate course of action."

"You have?" Aja asked. "That was quick."

"Indeed," Galadriel said. "We understood the urgency of your quest. If this Saint Dane is as dangerous as you say, we will need to move, fast."

"And we understand that the race of men isn't as patient as we elves are," Celeborn added. So they do stereotype. Oh well, I guess things are the same, elf or human.

"You will need to go to the lords of Middle-Earth," Galadriel said. "We need to keep a watch on everyone and the doings of all the kingdoms."

"You are to depart in three days," Celeborn said. "We will have arranged an escort by then. You are free to explore Lórien until then."

"Will that be all, my Lord?" Press asked.

Galadriel nodded. "You may go now."

We left them and I looked to Patrick. "Who are the lords of Middle-Earth?"

Patrick looked at me. "Middle-Earth has many realms, Bobby, and all of them are interconnected. There is the Reunited Kingdom of Men, led by the High King Aragorn. There is Rohan, realm of the horse-lords under Eomer. There are the dwarves of Erebor led by Thorin Stonehelm in an alliance with the Men of Dale under Bard II. Then there are the elven realms. We are in Lothlorien, which translates as dreamflower. Then there is Rivendell under Lord Elrond. There is Greenwood, under the Nandorin- green elf, mind you- King Thranduil. And finally, there is Lindon under Cirdan the shipwright."

"That's... a lot of realms... for a medieval world. And they're all united?" I asked.

"Mostly," Patrick answered. "There is some strife the elves have with the other races but they will unite against a common enemy."

"Wow." I began wondering which realm I would see first after Lorien. From what I remember from the movies, elves turn everything into works of art. Dwarves... I don't really know much. Men are noble, from what I've seen. At least some are. Not sure about all. I guess I'll just have to wait 'til I find out.

During the next three days, I took the opportunity to explore the forest. The trees were a brilliant silver and green. The flowers were pretty golds and whites. Every now and then, I heard an elf or a group of elves singing; and let me tell you guys, their music is like... beautiful. It is so fluid like water and so … enlightening. From what I've seen and heard, three aspects of nature fit the elves very well: the trees, the water, and the stars. The trees... well, the elves just fit in so well in the forest its hard _not _to associate them with trees. The water because they are so fluid and graceful. And the stars because of how... enlightening they are. They seem to glow with a faint starlight inside.

Okay, I guess I've rambled enough about elves. Sorry, just had to describe how it was like, being near them. But it can be a bit overwhelming. It was all I could do not to stop and stare and listen. Again, no offense Courtney. So that's my three days before leaving. Not much but I enjoyed it.

True to their word, we were summoned after three days to Galadriel and Celeborn again. They weren't alone either. There were eleven other elves lined up on either side with weapons at their sides. Very nasty looking weapons. Most had either swords or bows- which are pretty nasty on their own- or both, but one of them, a dark-haired elf dressed in blue and silver with a nasty looking spear. Now let me describe the spear for you. Imagine a seven-foot wooden pole with a two-and-a-half-foot metal blade mounted on one end. Yes, that was the elven spear. The blade looked to be of blue and silver metal and seemed to have an inscription but it was too faint to make out. And that guy looked like he knew how to use it. His gaze fell on me and it was cold. I shuddered. Remember Legolas from the movie? This guy was nothing like that Orlando Bloom pretty boy. This guy was bad ass. Very bad ass. I told myself not to get on that guy's bad side.

It was then that Galadriel spoke. "It is time for you to depart. We have prepared for you what you would need; supplies and an escort." She showed to us a table with several rolled up pieces of parchment. "Half of these are letters you must give to the lords of Middle-Earth. They tell of that which you told me. I'm afraid that it must be revealed to them as well. The other half are maps of Middle-Earth. You may need it to know the land you are in better." She then moved to a pile of cloths on the other end of the table. She picked them up and moved towards us. I took a closer look at the cloths and saw that they wee cloaks with leaf-shaped brooches. "These cloaks will shield you from unfriendly eyes, for they are woven with all the colors of nature; stone, earth, water, and wood." She then donned each of us in those cloaks. They weren't uncomfortable and were actually pretty soft.

"Now we shall introduce you to your escorts," Celeborn said after we had donned the cloaks. He beckoned to the first one who went to Alder. He was a silver-haired, grey-eyed elf, wearing light blue and grey, with a bow and quiver with arrows strapped across his back.

"I am Celebros," the elf said. "I shall escort you, Alder."

"It is nice to meet you, Celebros," Alder said, holding out his hand to shake which Celebros took.

The next escort was for Spader. His escort was a female elf with silver hair and grey eyes, kinda like Celebros, also with a bow and arrows. She was dressed in grey and sea-blue.

"And what is your name, pretty lady?" Spader asked her.

The elf chuckled. "Don't flirt with me. But if you must know, I am Earwen."

"Spader," Spader introduced himself.

Another elf walked towards Gunny. "And who might you be?" Gunny asked. The elf was golden-haired, light grey eyes- grey eyes are really common among elves for some reason- and was dressed in a light green and blue. She had a sword strapped to her waist and a bow and quiver across her back.

"You may call me Laurelin," the elf answered. "I shall be your escort."

"Nice to meet you, lady Laurelin," Gunny said with a smile.

"Please, just Laurelin," Laurelin said. "No need for the 'lady' title."

Gunny chuckled at that.

The next elf went up to Aja. Unlike the first three I mentioned, she was raven haired and blue eyes. No, she did not seem like Saint Dane, despite those characteristics. She was dressed in a dark blue and green and had a sword starapped to her waist.

"Melyanna, at your service," the elf said, smiling up at her. She seemed friendly enough.

Aja smiled back and pushed her blonde hair behind her ears. "Aja. Pleasure."

The next elf, a guy this time, with golden-blonde hair and sky-blue eyes wearing a light red with blue trim and a sword strapped to his waist. He twisted his hand over his sternum and bowed a bit. "Thalion," he greeted Kasha. "I shall be your escort miss..."

"Kasha," the Klee-turned-human finished for him. "Call me Kasha."

"Very well, miss Kasha."

"Please, just Kasha."

So far the escorts seemed nice enough and not too unfriendly... except for that guy with the spear who was staring at me coldly. Just who was that guy?

The sixth elf went to Loor. "I am Ohtar," he said. This guy was black-haired and grey-eyed, was dressed in red with white trim and had a sword. "I've never met a mortal maiden with your complexion. So dark yet so fair." Okay, so this guy was a flirt. I'm keeping an eye on him.

Loor remained stoic. "Sorry, but I'm not available to flirt with."

"But may I know your name at the least?" he asked.

"You may call me the warrior who breaks the noses of flirts," Loor said. "But you may call me Loor."

Ohtar chuckled. "You continue to amuse me." Okay, I'm really keeping an eye on him.

The next went to Elli. This elf was a golden-haired, grey-eyed woman dressed in green and brown with a bow. She seemed pretty down-to-earth for an elf. "I am Kemendil," she said, smiling.

"Elli," Elli introduced herself, bowing slightly. "Elli Winter."

The next elf went to Siry. She was silver-haired (silver as in star-silver), had sky-blue eyes, was dressed in grey, and had a bow and quiver across her back. She resembled Thalion a bit so I guessed that they were siblings.

"I am Tindome," she greeted.

"Siry," Siry greeted back.

The next elf went to Press. He resembled Tindome and Thalion but looked older than the two of them. He was silver-haired, blue-eyed, was dressed in silver and a bright blue, and had a sword at his waist. He was very tall.

"I am Melecalan," he introduced himself. "What are you called?"

"You can call me Press, Melecalan," Press replied politely.

The second to the last elf approached Patrick. This one was golden-haired, with light grey eyes with a sword and bow. He resembled Laurelin a bit.

"I am Lorendol," the elf said.

"I'm Patrick Mac," Patrick responded. "It's a delight to meet an elf. Even more to have one escorting me."

"Thank you, Patrick," Lorendol said.

So that just left me and the guy with the spear. He approached me, "May I have your name?" Okay, so far, all the elves have introduced themselves _before_ asking our names. Ah, well, I guess I can't expect the same thing from everyone.

"Pendragon," I said. "Bobby Pendragon."

"Ascarang," he said coldly. I shuddered again. This guy was like ice! He reminded me of Saint Dane... a bit anyway. I'm probably getting paranoid... again. This guy was dressed in a royal blue with silver trim that matched the blade of his spear pretty well.

"That's a nice spear you got there," I commented. "Looks deadly."

"Do you want to test it for yourself?" Ascarang asked coldly.

"Err, thanks but no thanks," I replied. I was pretty sure I was more likely to cut off my own leg with that thing anyway.

Ascarang gave a curt nod.

"And now," we turned our attention back to Galadriel, "you must know your respective destinations. Eight of you will be heading northward while the other three will move south. Alder, Spader, Gunny, Aja, Kasha, Loor, and Siry, you will be heading northward on horseback. Your destinations are labeled on you maps. Pendragon, Press, and Elli, you three will be going south by boat. Your destinations are also labeled on your maps."

She began handing to each of us two scrolls each. One was the letter to the lord we were supposed to visit, the other was our map. "Now your escorts will show you to the armory. You may need something to protect yourselves."

So we were shown to the armory and I got a glimpse at more elvish weapons. It seems that everything they make and do is a work of art. The designs and structure were so refined that I'm sure that no one back on Earth could reproduce this kind of art. There were several weapons from wooden staves- my favorite, to be honest,- swords, axes, bows and arrows, and the most magnificent of them all, the elven spear. Ascarang's spear was nine feet in length but these other spears were shorter, about eight feet. That didn't make them look any less deadly.

I looked around and picked up a stave like the ones I trained with and tested it out. It fit perfectly. I was still in touch with that warrior part of myself. I looked around and saw that several of the others were doing the same. Loor chose a stave just like my own. Press and Alder took a fancy to the elven swords. Spader and Kasha looked around and picked up some elven daggers; Spader just got one but Kasha took two. Siry kept looking but couldn't seem to choose one that fit him.

I walked over to him. "Hard time picking?"

"Just trying to find one that I can use," the Ibaran answered, still looking around. "Just can't decide."

I looked round and my eyes fell on a long bow with a quiver full of arrows. "What about that one?" I asked him, pointing at the bow.

Siry looked at it and tested it, pulling the string. "Good bow. I'll take it."

I looked to the group waiting outside, namely Elli, Patrick, Gunny, and Aja. "Not going to get something?" I asked them.

Gunny shook his head. "I'm a pacifist, remember?"

"And I'm a teacher," Patrick said. "I've never actually handled weapons much."

"And I'm a caretaker," Elli said.

"I'm a scientist," Aja said.

I nodded, getting their reasons. I don't blame them either. We left the armory and met with our escorts again. "We're ready to leave," I told them.

Ascarang nodded and he, Melecalan, and Kemendil took me, Press, and Elli to the river where our boats were waiting.

I'm going to end this journal here. I'm writing this on the river bank by starlight, which can really light up the night pretty well. My current destination is the kingdom of Gondor under King Aragorn. I hope the negotiations go well.

I hope you guys are alright. I'll write as soon as I can.

**End of Journal # 38**

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**Yes! I'm finished with Chapter 4! At this rate, I'll finish my rewrite soon! I hope you enjoyed this!**

**P.S. If anyone can guess who Ascarang is, what is the name of his spear, and who Saint Dane is on the territory, then I might give you a sneak preview at future chapters prior to posting. Ascarang is not his real name by the way.**


	5. Mark and Courtney

**Return**

**Chapter V  
Mark and Courtney**

**Third Earth**

Mark woke up in his bed to the sound of a familiar music and a familiar light. He looked around before fumbling for his glasses. He placed them on and looked at the source of the light and music. It seemed... familiar, somehow. He then realized and stared in shock. His acolyte ring had activated... and was sending something over to him.

When the light finally got to bright, he looked away but he knew what was happening anyway. When the light and music stopped he looked and gazed at the rolled up sheet of parchment that the ring had deposited. It looked to be well made for medieval parchment.

He picked it up and held it gingerly. He unrolled the parchment and his hopes- and fears- were confirmed. Bobby Pendragon was back. The bad news was that so was Saint Dane.

Mark just stared at the paper, scared, excited, and confused at the same time. He hurriedly dressed, grabbed the journal and ran to Courtney's apartment.

Mark and Courtney shared the same apartment building and Courtney's apartment was just two floors below Mark's.

Just as he was about to knock, the door opened, revealing Courtney in a yellow T-shirt and jogging shorts. Apparently she was going out for her morning jog. She eyed Mark quizzically before asking, "What are you wearing?"

Mark looked at himself and realized that, in his rush, he hadn't paid attention to what he put on. He had put on a grey sweater on backwards with the words, "Don't mess with me" on the back, which was now on front, and long black pants like those for formal occasions and sneakers. "Err... I wasn't paying attention."

"No duh," Courtney retorted. "What do you want?"

Mark then forgot his awkward choice of clothing and remembered the journal and held it up.

Courtney stared at it for a moment then looked back at Mark. "Is it-"

"Another Journal," Mark finished. "Number thirty-eight."

Courtney went pale then ushered him inside. The apartment was pretty simple and organized with a bedroom, a small kitchen, and a sitting room with a couch, a few chairs, and a TV. Mark took a chair and Courtney took the couch, and they sat there staring at the journal in Mark's hands. Courtney broke he silence. "Well? Let's read."

They read throughout the whole morning, stopping only for bathroom breaks and snacks, and when they finished, they stared at each other.

Only one question came to Courtney's mind. "How is Saint Dane back? I thought Bobby sent him to the dark side of Solara."

"You know I don't know that," Mark answered. "But I think I know about these new territories."

"Yeah, Middle-Earth from Lord of the Rings, I know," Courtney said. "The elves were a dead giveaway."

Mark nodded. "And I think I know how Middle-Earth came to be."

"How?" Courtney asked.

"J.R.R. Tolkien," Mark answered. "He's the one who wrote the books and created Middle-Earth."

"And?"

"There was an old saying, 'all creativity comes from God,'" Mark started. "Well, we know about Solara, which is supposedly the source of Halla."

"Where are you going with this?" Courtney asked impatiently.

"I'm saying that maybe what we consider fictional, was made real through the power of Solara the moment it was thought of," Mark answered. "It fits."

Courtney thought about it for a moment. "I don't understand anything but I know that we're in for hell."

"And we barely survived last time," Mark said. "But there's nothing we can do but be ready."

Courtney nodded then noticed something. The ring on Mark's finger was twitching. "Mark?"

Mark felt the twitching and looked at his ring. "Here we go," he said, taking it off and setting it down. The familiar notes and lights came from the ring and when it finished, the ring was back to normal and another journal had arrived.

Mark picked it up. "Let's read."

**Okay, just so you know, Bobby's journal is not coming next chapter. It will be in he last three chapters of TiA (Travels in Arda). But next chapter is Kasha! It's time to see that kitty's point of view.**


	6. Travels in Arda: Greenwood the Great

**Return**

**Chapter VI  
Travels in Arda: Kasha & Greenwood the Great**

**Kasha  
Middle-Earth**

When I set eyes on Lórien, I thought I was in Paradise. No, I'm serious. It really is beautiful. Even Lleandra cannot compare! There were golden-green trees and the flowers! Beautiful! And the bet part was no tangs! I can enjoy the forest with out those stupid tangs! Paradise? I agree in every sense of the word.

And the elves? Well one way to describe them would be to call them immortal-pretty-gars. Long haired-immortal-pretty gars with lovely voices. Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself.

I told Thalion, my escort, who seemed to be much better looking and more regal than the average gar, that Lórien was the most beautiful place I've ever seen. He laughed- no, he really laughed- and answered me, "The beauty that is Lórien is but a small flickering candle compared to the Blessed Realm of Valinor." So Lórien is just the beginning? I really couldn't wait to see more. But I had to wonder; where is Valinor?

Now let me describe Thalion. He was golden-haired with sky-blue eyes. He was tall and quite handsome for a gar. He had light red clothes with blue trim and it really brought out his hair. Okay... did I just say that? No, I am _not_ crushing on a gar! Even immortal pretty gars! Blah!

Anyway, let me describe these elf-horses. They were like zenzens with two notable differences. One, they lacked the extra joint the zenzens have. Two, these are much faster and are very obedient if you are kind to them. They will never let you fall off unless you deliberately jump off of them which is not the brightest thing to do.

So, we were just trotting along the forest paths northward, but it wasn't until we reached the forest border that I truly experienced the speed of elf horses. Once the last tree cluster was passed, Thalion shouted to the elf horses, "Run swiftly!" And that is exactly what they did. I felt the wind on my face and it nearly blew me off, as I wasn't prepared for their speed. But they are _fast_!

And, I think we traveled nearly two hundred fifty miles today. Yes, elf horses are fast. We even reached the Great Road of Middle-Earth! That was _very _fast.

We made camp by the road that night. We had a light supper of lady Galadriel's _lembas,_ which is quite energizing, and made small talk with each other. We avoided broaching the topic on our reasons for seeing Galadriel for obvious reasons but I guess that some elves are just too curious.

"Why did the lady Galadriel send you to speak with the lords of Midlle-Earth?" the silver-haired elf Celebros asked. "And why were there so many of you? This many mortals have never entered so deep into Lorien without notice."

Okay, now this was bad. How do we tell them? Fortunately, Gunny came up with an excuse for us.

"As you may, or may not, know," he started, "we came to Lorien chasing a fugitive. We don;t know where he is right now but he can do untold damage if left unchecked. We need to warn the lords of Middle-Earth to look out for him."

"And who is this 'fugitive'?" Celebros asked. "If he passed through Lorien, we would surely have found him."

"He is most adept at hiding," Aja answered. "Especially in plain sight." From what I knew of Saint Dane, they were telling the truth. He, in a way, was a fugitive, and was very good at hiding and disguising. I've seen it myself.

"Good enough to evade elvish sight and hearing?" Thalion asked. I could see they were a bit offended and shocked by that prospect.

"That and more," Gunny answered ominously. "And that's how he hits. From where you least expect it."

The escorts seemed to take this in; at least it seemed that way. Elves can be completely expressionless and unreadable. "You still haven't named him," the silver-haired elf woman Earwen said. "Surely he must have a name."

"Saint Dane," I answered. "But he will go by other names when causing mischief."

The escorts seemed to accept that answer but they looked like they would ask again.

"How is it that you speak perfect Sindarin?" the black-haired elf woman Melyanna asked.

I looked at my fellow Travelers. This would be tricky to explain. Luckily, Gunny was able to come up with a decent excuse, yet again.

"We were raised with this language," he explained. "That and are own human tongue. Speaking Sindarin comes naturally to us as we knew it from birth."

"We find that very unlikely," Thalion said. "Very few non-elven know Sindarin, much less speak it fluently like you."

We ended the discussion with that and decided to get some sleep. That night, I dreamed of Black Water that night. But instead of the regular gars, they were, for some reason, long-haired, pointed-eared, immortal pretty gars That was... how does Pendragon put it? Weird. Elves are a strange folk, I'll tell you now.

We woke and had a small breakfast of _lembas_, which is quite energizing. We then got back on our horses- I've started calling mine Boon- and exchanged a few words before parting ways.

"Good luck with your negotiations," Aja said.

"As with yours, Aja," I replied.

"Avoid getting into serious tum tiggers, alright?" Spader asked. I will never understand his Cloran expressions. His cheerfulness is nice to have around though.

"Of course, Spader," Gunny answered him.

I looked and saw that our elven escorts were having similar goodbyes. They finished quickly then Thalion, Ohtar, Loor's escort, and Earwen went to us. "Let us be off," Thalion said. We got on our horses then Spader grinned.

"Last one to Greenwood buys the sniggers!" Then he spurred his horse onward and galloped ahead. We galloped after him, smiling at the enthusiasm.

It was late afternoon when we reached Greenwood. The tress weren't nearly as tall as those on Eelong but they were still majestic and imposing. I see now why it is called "The Great." We ventured in, following the road, and stopped when it got too dark. We decided to make camp there and continue on the next day.

We started a small fire and had another supper of _lembas_ yet again. Luckily, no one asked intruding questions this time. Suddenly, I stiffened, hearing something in the trees and bushes. I looked at the elves and saw that they had heard it as well. We got up, weapons drawn.

Now you might think this is crazy but a giant spider attacked us. It scurried out of the brush and attacked us. It didn't get close however as Earwen quickly nocked an arrow and shot it in the eye.

"That was too easy," I said. It turns out, I was right. Dozens more came at us, either scurrying from the brush or climbing down trees or descending in webs. Earwen began shooting away at them but there were simply too many and she quickly ran out of arrows. She drew a knife from her person but I doubted it would do any good.

The first spiders reached us, about seven of them but we dealt with them quickly. It wasn't that easy though. They were huge with large eyes and fangs and claws on their long hairy legs. It's not easy getting past those with just my daggers.

When I fought, it turned out that, despite my new form as a gar, I still had my klee reflexes and alertness and thus, was able to keep up with the spiders. I saw that Spader was having some difficulty but Loor was helping him so I reverted my attention back to the spiders that were heading to me.

The spiders kept pouring in and were going to overwhelm us soon by their sheer numbers and resilience if nothing else. Our horses seemed to have been scared off as I saw nor heard no sign of them. I didn't really have enough time nor attention to think about them as I was busy trying to stab the numerous spiders coming at me.

Suddenly, about a dozen spiders were pierced by arrows coming from the shadows on either side of the road. Many of the spiders fled and the ones that remained were killed. I guess we were lucky.

When the spiders were gone, we were approached by hooded figures- I assumed they were elves- from both sides of the road.

One approached us and looked to Thalion. "What brings you here to Greenwood?"

"We come on a diplomatic mission," Thalion said. "Kasha," he gestured to me, "and I need to speak with your lord, King Thranduil."

"And the others?"

"They are heading to Dale and Erebor," Thalion answered. "They are merely passing through here."

The elf nodded and seemed to eye us critically. I don't know for sure as his hood was up and I couldn't see his eyes. "You should be more careful. The spiders have been unusually active and aggressive."

Thalion nodded. "We will."

The elf threw his hood back, revealing blond hair. "Come with me then. I will escort you to Thranduil."

I chose that time to approach and said. "Thank you, kind elf. I am Kasha." He seemed to be surprised when I spoke.

"I know very few who know the elven tongue, Kasha, and even fewer who can speak as fluently as you," the elf responded. "I am Legolas, son of Thranduil."

* * *

Okay so there might be some fluff between Kasha and the "immortal-pretty-gars." I hope you find it amusing.

Next up: T&M: To the Lonely Mountain!


	7. Travels in Arda: The Lonely Mountain

**Return**

**Chapter VII  
Travels in Arda: To the Lonely Mountain**

**Middle-Earth  
Loor**

It has been three days since those spiders attacked. We had lost our horses that night and were forced to go on foot. I didn't mind much, though. It is good exercise to walk.

We've had some additional escorts from Legolas' hunting party. They were cloak and hooded in dark green, matching the forest perfectly. I could tell that these elves would be the perfect ambushers. They knew how to blend in, keep quiet, and kill the target. No wonder neither we nor the spiders heard nor saw them coming until they began shooting their arrows.

Anyways, I was having a chat with my escort from Lorien whose name is Ohtar which means warrior in elvish. And true to his name, he was very warrior like. Much like myself in fact. We compared each other's lives as warriors and I found that he had centuries of experience as a warrior. Well, that's not very surprising considering elven immortality, but I was amazed that a centuries old being could look so young!

Anyways, we had reached the eastern border of Greenwood. That was surprisingly good progress for moving on foot.

Taurril and the Greenwood elves didn't ask any new questions. Just the same ones that our own escorts had already asked. Of course, we gave the same answers.

Now let me describe Ohtar. He was raven-haired and grey eyed, was a bit taller than myself, and was wearing red with a white trim. He seemed to like flirting sometimes. I'm sure he was just playing around, though. He had an elven sword with a single edge and curved near the tip. It looked like a swift, deadly weapon, and I was sure that he knew ho to use it.

**Spader**

I have been in only one forest, and that was on Eelong but hobey was Mirkwood grand. Not beautiful on the same level as Lorien but was still huge. Too bad we don't have much dry land on Cloral. It would be nice to have forests there.

Anyways, my escort, Earwen, who was very good looking by the way (you will see why), was silver-haired, had striking grey eyes and had a bow strung across her back with white-feathered arrows. Her clothing looked nice on her. Grey and sea-green, wow. I asked her what her name meant and I found it meant Maiden of the Sea. Hobey, I'm starting to like her even more!

**Loor**

The leader of our additional escorts from Greenwood was called Taurril which apparently meant Flame of the Forest. A bit ironic but who am I to judge? He was raven-haired like Ohtar but with green eyes instead of grey. From what he explained, he was second-in-command to Legolas. He had a sword similar to that of Ohtar's and a bow across his back with a quiver of grey-feathered arrows.

Anyways, we had reached the city of Dale at the end of seven days which was surprisingly good progress. Something seemed wrong though. There was smoke rising from the northern edge of the city. It looked like there was a fire and we decided to go check it out and see what was wrong.

When we got there, there was the most fearsome monster I've ever seen in my trip through Halla. It looked like a giant lizard with scales all over its back that could breathe fire. Yes, that's where the smoke was coming from. It noticed us and let out a jet of flame. We managed to dodge it except for one elf from Greenwood who was burnt to a crisp.

We kept under cover and I looked to Taurril. "Any plan to kill that... beast?"

"It's a dragon just so you know," Taurril said. "It's scales are nigh impenetrable so any attack from above or the flank would be useless. Attacking the front would be suicide. And attacking from behind would get you hit by the tail."

"What about its underbelly?" I asked. "It isn't covered in scales."

"That is where he need to strike," Ohtar answered.

"And how do you plan on getting that close?" Spader asked. "It's suicide charging it."

"We need a distraction," I said. I eyed the bows of Taurril and the other elves. "And I think I know how."

**Spader**

I'm starting to think that Loor might be insane. Really, she wants the elves to distract the dragon while Ohtar, Loor and I go attack it! Did she even notice it breathing fire- which is really spiffy as long as I'm not the one getting burned- and its huge claws and teeth? Its teeth are bigger than sharks'! So yes, Loor is definitely insane. Now I'm wondering why I even listened.

So anyway, the elves took their positions and launched a volley of arrows at the dragon, aiming at its eyes. None of the arrows hit any soft spot at all, but managed to catch its attention. It roared and charged towards them.

**Loor**

When the elves dived to the side and the dragon sped past, that was our cue. We charged the dragon, catching it in the flank. It seemed ready for us though, as it swiped its tail at us, knocking Ohtar and Spader back. I managed to duck under the tail- which came pretty close to hitting my head, now that I think about it- and get under the beast.

Its underbelly was absolutely filthy. It smelt like all the sewage Xhaxhu could accumulate in a year had been dumped into a pool and this beast was swimming in it.

Anyways, the smell was the least of my problems. Now I had to avoid getting trampled and get my sword into the thing's heart. Not so easy when you're at the rear end of the beast. So I raced to the front part, dodging the trampling dragon feet and managed to get up to the front. Unfortunately, I tripped and would have been flattened if I didn't instinctively throw my sword upward. By some miracle- or maybe Solara was helping a bit- it went straight up to its chest and through the heart. Now all I had to do was get out from under there before being flattened.

Later, I found myself being slapped on the back by everyone. All I did was kill the dragon and save Dale... Okay, maybe I do deserve it but they seem overly enthusiastic about it. Anyways, we spoke to a dwarf with a thick red beard- his name was Gimli, I think- that told us that Kings Bard and Thorin would like to meet us. We seem oddly lucky today.


	8. Travels in Arda: To the Eagles

**OMG! I am so so sorry for not updating sooner! I was just so busy with school, projects, Taekwondo, and writer's block. I am so sorry! I will do my best to update more quickly!**

* * *

**Return**

**Chapter VIII  
To the Eagles**

**Middle-Earth  
Alder**

"So tell me Alder, what was your home like?" Celebros asked me. "For truly, I have never been to the realms of Men."

"I am not from the realms you know of," I told him. "I come from a far away kingdom, unknown to many."

"A kingdom we've never heard of?" Celebros asked. "Strange. I always thought you to be a man of Gondor."

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"You hold some resemblance to the Dúnedain, Alder," Celebros said. "But perhaps I was mistaken."

"Resemblance does not mean kinship," I answered. "But I understand."

"So what was your kingdom like?" Celebros asked again.

I smiled and began telling the story of the Bedoowan and the Milago. I told him of their relationship; of how the Bedoowan protected the Milago in exchange for food and work. Then I told the elf of Queen Kagan's rise to power and of Mallos and the harsh abuses inflicted on the Milago. I then went on to how Press, Loor, Osa, and Pendragon came to help them. I told him of Figgis, the merchant of death who wished to sell the tack to the Milago.

I told him of tack's destructive power and how, if the Milago used it, they would become the dominant force on Denduron- which I described as a continent, not a territory- and how it would topple the balance of power. Then I told of Pendragon's "solution" by destroying the tack mine. I told him of how the two tribes finally settled their differences and worked together.

I sighed. Then I told him of how they began excavating the tack mine- leaving out the dygo used to do it- and their lust for its power was renewed.

"Who was responsible for that?" the elf asked me.

"The man we were hunting down when we came to Lórien," I answered.

"So capturing this man has special meaning for you then?"

"It has a meaning for all of us."

That night, we made camp. There was a small thicket where we chose to set up. We were about to sit down to sup when the horses started to whinny. "I'll go check them," Celebros sighed, getting up. He was with the horses for a minute then he suddenly rushed back to me. "Get up," he whispered softly but with urgency. "Douse the fire and gather as many supplies as you can. There are orcs nearby."

Press and Patrick had told me about the orcs and I decided that I would like not to meet them. I put dirt on the fire then gathered my supplies and mounted my horse. He seemed so jittery. He calmed at my touch, and Celebros and I sped northwards. I heard some howls behind us. So there were orcs _and _wolves. I hoped that the wolves would eat the orcs but that was dashed when Celebros told me that orcs tended to _ride_ the wolves. "And those aren't ordinary wolves. Those are dire wolves," he said. "As large as horses and just as fast." That was a cheery thought.

We raced ahead but the howls were still heard. At least they were still a ways behind us. But we kept riding through the night.

By morning my legs were completely sore. Even if the elf horses avoid bumps, that run through the night left me completely bruised in the thighs. I took a look at Celebros and he seemed perfectly fine. Lucky elf.

He must have seen my look of jealousy because he asked, "What?"

"How are you not sore?" I asked. "We've been riding all night at full gallop and you hardly look winded!"

"I'm tired, just as you are," Celebros answered. "I just hide it better."

I scowled and sat down on the ground. We stopped only because orcs don't move in daylight. That and the horses needed to rest.

"Did we leave anything behind?" I asked.

Celebros went to check the bags. "Not much," he answered when finished. "A few packs of clothing, but we still have our food and drink."

"Nothing important left then." I got up, and fished out some _lembas_ bread from my bags. I munched at them hungrily. "So we rest by day, ride by night?"

"Yes," Celebros said. "We can't afford to stay still in the dark."

"We're still in danger if we move," I pointed out. "And we could lose our direction."

"You underestimate my abilities," the elf huffed. "I can find our way by sun, moon, or starlight. As long as I have that, I'll know where we're headed. And I can hear if we're being followed."

"Then I'm glad I have an elf with me then," I told him. "Or I would never have made my way."

We rode off again at dusk. I stayed behind Celebros so I knew where to go. Or at least the horse did. We kept riding for hours, not stopping for anything.

It was too good to last. My horse's ears twitched, hearing something, then Celebros yelled, "Get down!" I ducked my head and I heard several arrows whizzing above my head from my left. An ambush. These orcs are clever.

We pushed our horses as hard as we dared. More arrows flew at us but none made their mark. We kept riding until Celebros suddenly stopped. I stopped beside him. "Why are we stopping?"

"I hear orcs, all around us," the elf said. "We're surrounded."

These orcs were _too _clever. I drew my sword and Celebros his bow, notching an arrow. I gazed around and dark figures came into view, approaching us slowly. I could make out some spears, scimitars, and clubs, and other weapons of all sorts. Some of the orcs seemed to be mounted on large figures that I could only guess to be large wolves. "Any ideas?" I asked.

"Surrender isn't an option," the elf said. Cheery.

I readied my elven blade. It was surprisingly light for a sword and far sharper than any normal blade. But then, ever since I was a Traveler, in what context should I define _normal_? This was probably normal for elven blades. I looked at Celebros and saw that he was already aiming his bow and arrow.

A wolf howled and leaped forward which rewarded it with an arrow in its throat. Half-a-dozen orcs rushed forward, brandishing their weapons. Celebros downed three before those three reached us. Celebros drew a dagger and cut ones throat while my horse kicked another down and stomped its chest while I dealt with the last one.

Orcs are the foulest things in all of Halla. Its face was completely disfigured- I won't go into detail there. Its skin was blotchy with red and black and green and shades in between. It was bow-legged. And, it had the foulest stench I have ever smelt. It was as if it was sleeping and bathing in a pit full of rancid meet.

Anyway, I swung my sword and took the orc's arm before taking its head off. It fell and a pool of black blood began to form. I tried not to let myself be distracted as arrows flew towards us. I quickly jumped off my horse and the arrows flew past harmlessly. I looked and saw that Celebros had done the same thing. Half his arrows were gone but there were still more orcs than I cared to count.

"Do orcs always come in such numbers?" I asked the elf.

"Almost every single time," the elf replied, notching another arrow and releasing it.

"Why do they not all attack at once? It would certainly save them time and effort."

"They revel in our hopelessness. They think they have already won."

I looked around and it seemed that way. There were simply too many of them. Suddenly, a shadow descended on us and we looked up, and saw three huge bird-like shapes descending on us. Then, I thought we were truly doomed. How were we supposed to fight _those _off?

Celebros didn't seem so depressed. He actually seemed enlightened. He cried out, "Behold, the Eagles of the Mountains!"

I looked around and the orcs were cowering in fear! These Eagles were our allies! The next moments were both frightening and thrilling. The Eagles descended upon us and one grabbed me and Celebros by the waist while the other two picked up our frightened horses. At first I thought they were taking us to their nests to eat us but I was reassured by Celebros.

"These are the Eagles we search for," he said.


	9. Travels in Arda: To Rivendell

**Return**

**Chapter IX  
Travels in Arda: To Rivendell**

**Patrick**

We gazed up at the mountains in awe and fear. Even our elven escort seemed to dislike the path.

"We have to go through _that_?" Siry asked, in a small, intimidated voice. I can't really blame him. The High Pass of the Misty Mountains was definitely imposing.

"Sorry, Siry," Lorendol said to him. "But it is the quickest way to Rivendell."

"Isn't there a safer, _warmer_, _closer to the ground_ path?" Siry pleaded.

"Not unless you want to go back south," I told him. "Rivendell is just on the other side of these mountains."

"And how would you know that?" Tindome asked. "I thought you were not from these parts."

"I've studied some maps of these regions," I told her, thinking quickly. "So I know a bit of these parts."

They elves gave me a look of curiosity and suspicion, and, for a moment, I was afraid they would press for more, but they didn't, luckily. "We've packed warm clothes for you, so you should be shielded from the elements," Laurelin said. "Don't worry. The Redhorn Pass is much worse."

"Caradrhas, correct?" I asked.

"Yes. Caradhras the Cruel."

"And called the Cruel for a reason, correct?"

"Indeed."

It may seem strange that I'm not daunted by High Pass, but I looked at it logically. Our supplies were running low, Other, safer passes were to far away, and Redhorn Pass was too dangerous to undertake. I looked at Siry and told him, "It's either this, or turn back."

Siry sighed. "Alright then."

We then began the slow ascent up the High Pass. It was really slow, and some parts of the path were slippery and treacherous. Gunny was the only one of us- besides the elves- who retained a calm disposition.

It was a week before we finally cleared the pass. That was one week of miserable cold, and a week under the shadow of the mountain. The whole while I thought I heard deep, rumbling laughter coming from above us. From what I've read of _The Hobbit_, there _are _giants living here. We were all glad to be out of the Pass.

The elves' demeanor hadn't changed much, but I noticed that some tension that had been gathered in the Pass- it wasn't noticeable, but it was there- was now released. The same held true for us Travelers, it seemed.

We had supper- not really celebratory, but it was _much _more cheerful than the time in High Pass in any case- and began our usual routing of storytelling or personal sharing.

The elves shared with us their knowledge of Middle-Earth, which seemed to be either very limited to the elven realms or a very broad knowledge of the lands. The most detailed descriptions they gave us, however, were of Lorien, Rivendell, and Lindon. Lorien was merely an elven outpost established by Galadriel and Celeborn to guard the eastern realms of Middle-Earth, but it had grown into a beautiful wood where time seemed to stand still. The mallorn of Lorien were dwarfed only by the ancient trees of Numenor and Valinor.

Rivendell was a stronghold established by the Lord Elrond Half-Elven. It served as a refuge for those who sought healing, counsel, or protection. It was seemingly heavily defended, with mountains on it's eastern side and the river blocking almost every other entry. It was a fair elven city.

Then finally, the elves shared with us the glory of their Kingdom: Lindon. Lindon, in the elven language, meant music. The region was named for the mountains bordering it to the east, Ered Lindon. They are also known as the Blue Mountains, but Ered Lindon is more common among the elves. Lindon was the Kingdom of the last Noldo King, Erenion Gil-Galad. It was the largest of the remaining elven realms in Middle-Earth, and by far the most glorious. It was also the haven of the surviving elves of the First Age of Arda.

When he finished, I was even more excited to get to Rivendell and meet Lord Elrond. Rivendell would probably my heaven if it had computers.

"What is your home like, Patrick?" my escort, Lorendol asked.

Now I was in trouble. I had come up with dozens of stories to tell them should they ever ask, all very vague. So, I chose the most believable among those stories and proceeded.

"I was a teacher and a librarian in a peaceful society." I decided to stick to the vague truth. "It was somewhat an ideal society; no war, clean lands, no poverty; it was indeed ideal. It was almost perfect actually."

They must have noticed the sadness in my voice as Lorendol asked, "What happened?"

"A man called Saint Dane came. I don't know if that is his real name or one he adopted, but the thing is..." I tried to keep back a tear of anguish, "he practically destroyed our society."

The elves sensed my anguish and, thankfully, didn't press me.

We soon went to sleep, Lorendol taking watch.

Howls in the night tore me from sleep. The elves were already up and about, putting out the fire and placing the bags on the horses. Tindome and Laurelin were waking the other Travelers. I heard the howls again, louder this time. I immediately got up and grabbed my bags and ran to my horse.

"Wolves?" I asked when one of the elves (I think it was Tindome) passed by.

"Yes," she said quickly, then went to her horse and got on. When we were all horsed, we rode out.

I was never skilled a horse back riding. Less so in full gallop, bareback. Despite that, I had managed to hold on to my horse the whole ride, surprisingly.

The path we took was long and full of turns, in an effort to shake the wolves off. It didn't do any good; the wolves were gaining.

"We should ride straight for Rivendell," I heard Siry yell at the elves. "We can't lose those wolves. We'll just have to outrun them."

"Follow us, then!" Lorendol shouted before making a sharp turn to the right. We all followed suit.

"Rivendell is only a few miles away!" Tindome told us. The news was heartening but the wolves were getting ever closer. So close, their howls made my ears hurt.

We soon spotted the Ford of Bruinen up ahead. I wondered whether a flood will sweep the wolves away should they try to cross. I heard howls from just behind us and I turned my head to see the largest wolves I've ever seen. They were not wargs- not hyena-like enough- but they were huge like the prehistoric direwolf. I began to wonder whether Tolkien included direwolves in his legendarium.

Anyways, we were almost on the ford and almost within Rivendell's borders. Tindome, Lorendol, and Laurelin had pulled out their bows and began shooting arrows at the direwolves. Some were hit, but others were able to scatter from the area of targeting, and kept up the chase. Volleys of arrows rained on them, but they kept coming.

We crossed the ford.

We reigned our horses in and turned around to see the wolves. As soon as the first wolf touched the water, the sound of rushing water was heard and the flood of Bruinen came.

I sighed, relieved. "That's that."

I heard the sound of hooves behind me and I saw a golden-haired elf riding towards us on a tall elf-horse. He bore a regal and lordly expression, and looked at us with those piecing eyes. "I am Lord Glorfindel. Lord Elrond has been expecting you."


	10. Travels in Arda: To Tom Bombadil

**Sorry for the wait, but here it is.**

* * *

**Return**

**Chapter X  
Travels in Arda- To the House of Tom Bombadil**

**Middle-Earth  
Gunny Van Dyke**

"We're just a day's travel from Bree," Laurelin told us. We had left Rivendell about a week ago, and, well, my clothes are a bit stained and I was worn from travel. As gentle as these elf horses are,we could still get bumps in the road.I envied Patrick. Oh well. Can't change the fact that he's cozy with the elves and we're stuck traveling.

"I hope the inn has some nice beds," Aja said. "I'm not that used to traveling."

"They have beds, certainly," Melyanna said. "I'm more worried about whether they would accommodate us elves."

"Well, either way, we'll have to pass through Bree," Laurelin said. "We might as well stop for supplies."

I nodded at that. "There might be some interesting people."

"As long as we keep moving," Siry said. "We wouldn't want to linger."

I heard Aja sigh. Siry could be overly suspicious sometimes. "You really need to lighten up to others, Siry," I told him.

"What do you mean 'lighten up'?" Aja asked me. I sighed, remembering not to use earth expressions with non-earth people.

"I meant to open up; not be so distrusting," I answered.

"Then why didn't you just say so?" Siry asked. I shrugged.

We had a small dinner then went to sleep. We didn't talk much that night and went to sleep quickly.

* * *

We resumed our trip first thing in the morning. We had already discussed what to expect at the town the day before so we said nothing on the way.

We reached the town by noon. We went to the inn- the Prancing Pony it was called- while Tindome and Siry went to buy fresh supplies.

The innkeeper was a large, jolly, fat man with a moustache. He introduced himself as Barliman Butterbur, I think. He gave us a large enough room to fit all six of us for the night and stables for our horses.

We stayed there for the night, talking, sharing our pasts.

"What is your history, Laurelin?" I asked.

The golden-haired elf gave a light smile. "I shall tell you then. I was born in Valinor before the years of the Sun, when the light of the Two Trees shone brightly. After their destruction, I journeyed with the Deep Elves to Middle-Earth. I served under the Sons of Finarfin in the War against Morgoth. The details of that, I will not delve into, now, but somehow, I managed to survive. I served under the Lady Galadriel throughout the Second and Third Ages. Now, I am here, escorting you. That is my history in brief."

"What is Valinor like?" Aja asked.

Laurelin smiled sadly at that. "It is more beautiful than all the elven realms of Middle-Earth together."

"You miss it," Gunny said. "Don't you?"

"You cannot begin to comprehend how much we miss it," Melyanna said.

I looked outside the window and saw that it was dark outside, with most of the torches extinguished. "It's late. Time to get some shuteye."

* * *

We left early the next day. We had a light breakfast before paying Buttebur and departing.

"We'll part ways now," Laurelin said. "You and I will head into the Old Forest. The rest will cross into Buckland through the road."

"To Tom Bombadil, right?" I asked.

"Yes."

I nodded then turned my horse- I named him Dodger- towards the forest.

"How do we find Bombadil?" I asked.

"Listen carefully and you can here him singing," the elf answered.

"Singing?"

"It's a pastime of his."

We walked through the forest, listening for anything. We passed by some large mounds which Laurelin said were the Ancient Barrows of Arnor. It was a ghastly sight, but I kept my mouth shut about it. The trees were not much better. They were tall and imposing and very unfriendly. We traveled through the morning and into the afternoon. I sudenly heard something. An old man, singing. I couldn't make out the words, but it was there. Laurelin seemed to hear it as well and we rode towards the singing.

* * *

**I know it's not much, but I just wanted to show every Traveler's POV before going back to Bobby.**


	11. Travels in Arda: To the Shire

**Return**

**Chapter XI  
Travels in Arda- To the Shire**

**Middle-Earth  
Aja Killian**

It has been a day since Bree. Our trip had been so uneventful it was nearly boring. The scenery was nice, but there was not much else to do, but watch and chat. It wasn't long until we reached the border of Buckland- I knew the name from information from the elves- where we were stopped by a group of very short- less than four feet tall- bare-footed people holding short staffs and some bows.

One of them, taller than the rest, stepped forward. "And who might you four be? A man, a woman, and two Elves. Curious company."

"We are merely passing through," Tindome said. "Although, our friends Siry and Melyanna are here to stay. They are looking for someone."

"A Big Fellow? Here in the Shire?" the hobbit asked. "I'm sure we would have seen him."

"He is well adept at hiding and remaining inconspicuous, no matter the environment," I told him. "I'm sure that he would slip past you easily."

"Why are you searching for this man?" another hobbit asked.

"He's a dangerous fugitive," I told him. "We need to find him and stop him."

The hobbit thought about it for a minute then said, "As long as you keep the peace, you are welcome."

"Thank you," Melyanna said.

"We will escort you four to Hobbiton. You can speak with the mayor there. And I think we know a place you can stay in," the hobbit said.

"Thank you," I said. "What's your name?"

"Merry Brandybuck at your service, miss..."

"Killian. Aja Killian," I told him. "Pleasure to be acquainted with you, mister Brandybuck."

"So, do you come from Rohan?" Merry asked me. "Because you resemble the people there quite a bit."

"I'm not from these parts, I'm afraid," I replied.

"Shame," Merry said. "I have friends in Rohan."

"You must miss them."

"I do. It's been years since I saw them last."

It didn't take long for us to reach the Brandywine River, where we were met by another Hobbit. "Hello, Merry, where are you taking these big fellas?"

"Hobbiton," Merry answered. "Good to see your doing your shirrifing properly Pip."

"Merry, I always shirrif good!"

Merry rolled his eyes at the other hobbit. "We're just passing by. Miss Killian and Melyanna here want to get to Hobbiton. She's going to see the mayor. The others are just passing by."

"I see," the other hobbit said. "Well, come along then, miss," he said cheerfully. I think I'm beginning to like hobbits. They're so upbeat and cheerful. And admittedly cute.

Anyways, they let us cross the bridge and lead us through the Shire. We passed multiple fields of rice, wheat, sugar, and many other crops. Simply too many to be mentioned. It gave nice countryside scenery. These people really were simple.

Many of the plants seemed vibrant and alive, similar to those in Lorien. Many hobbit children were running along the road and stopped to look at us in wonder. I'm guessing they didn't get that many tall people for company.

The hobbit houses- okay, they weren't houses per se. More like holes dug into the hills. That's what it looked like from outside. They looked rather cheery.

It was some time before we reached the town of Hobbiton. It was hard to tell it was a different town as all the hobbit towns looked alike. Although, this had much more houses and hobbit holes. We were taken to a one of the hills which had several holes there. We went to the top hole and Merry went up and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a voice called.

"It's Merry and company! You have guests, Sam!"

The round door opened, revealing quite a stout hobbit. "Hello there, Merry!"

"Hello Sam! You have some guests."

The hobbit, Sam, looked at us. "Elves! And a Man and Woman! What are they here for?"

"They just need a place to stay for a while. Except for the Man. He's just passing through."

"Of course, of course! Come in!" Sam said cheerfully. He seemed to be delighted to have big folk guests.

"What are your names?" Sam asked us, once we were all settled down inside. He had also insisted that Siry come in for some tea, which my fellow Traveler grumbled about, but didn't protest. "Merry didn't tell me."

"I am Aja Killian," I told him. I had decided to lead the introductions this time. "Pleasure to meet you, Sam. This is Siry, my friend, and, our escorts from Lorien, Tindome and Melyanna."

"You're from Lorien?" Sam asked the elves.

"We are," Tindome said. "Aja here needs to speak with your mayor."

"Is something wrong?"

"We're looking for a man," Aja said. "A very dangerous man. He's easy to overlook."

Sam's initial cheerfulness left him. "So... another dangerous man... here..."

I nodded. "If we find him, we can prevent much suffering."

Sam looked up at me. "Do you mean that?"

"We've already defeated him once," I said with conviction.

Sam's face lightened up. "Thank you."

* * *

**Gah! I'm done! Aja was a really tough one to get right. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed Return so far! I will try to speed up my updating as best I can, I promise.**


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